Starting Problems 1996 Mercury Sport Jet 95XR

[KellyI]

I have a 1996 Tracker Bass Boat with a Mercury 95XR HP sport jet engine. The boat has starting issues when cold. I can crank on the engine and it will not fire up. If I give it a small shot of starting fluid it fires up instantly and seems to run really well. I do realize starting fluid is not healthy for this engine since it lacks any type of oil.Carb rebuild kits have been installed and I have tested the Auto Enricher system. It reads 24 OHMS where the manual calls for 18-20 ohms. When applying voltage to the enricher it seems to be working fine. One thing I noticed was that the Enricher had no visible sign of gasoline in it. The enricher is fueled directly from the float bowl of the middle carb. I need to check for any blockage there.
Is there any other thing to check for? Maybe my fuel pump? The engine has very few hours on it despite its age. There are no priming bulbs on these engines either. I have not compression checked it either but I'm quite sure that is ok. The spark plugs are also fresh.
Any suggestions?

 

[ondarvr]

If no fuel is getting to the enricher, then it's not doing anything to help it start cold, so track that issue down first.

 

[roscoe]

Welcome to iboats Kelly.


Add a primer bulb, lots of people have.
This is essentially an outboard
engine, connected to a custom drive.

Start it and care for it as if it is a 2 cycle outboard.

The primer bulb send fuel to the engine, fills the carb bowl, and provides enough pressure to supply fuel to the enricher.

After adding the primer bulb, pump it up till firm, not rock hard.

Then you can disconnect the enricher and activate it, to see if fuel is reaching it, and to see if it is opening to release the fuel.
FYI, the enricher is just a valve that allows fuel to flow, it does not pump or inject.

To start:
Pump up primer.
Use the throttle only lever feature on the controls to advance the throttle to full throttle.
Push in the key and turn the key to the start position.
Keep the key pushed in for 3-5 seconds, then let it out.
Keep turning the key until it fires.
When engine starts to fire, release key and then be prepared to throttle back as the engine starts to rev.

If engine does not fire, you may need to push the key in for a few more seconds.

Once you get a feel for what your particular engine needs to start, it will be easy.

And yes, rebuild the fuel pump. Kits are cheap.
You should be able to buy the primer bulb, hose clamps, and fuel pump kit for about $50.

 

[KellyI]

I looked around and found fuel a pump rebuild kit for $15. I want to install the primer bulb between the fuel tank and carbs? I'm not 100% clear on what you mean by disconnecting the enricher and activating?

Thanks

 

[roscoe]

yes, primer bulb between fuel tank and engine input.

If you disconnect the fuel output hose from the enricher, you will be able to test, to see if fuel is actually coming out of the enricher.

Have some way of catching the fuel so as not to spill it all over.

 

[KellyI]

I do not have the boat at my present location. I assume I want a 3/8 inch primer bulb kit? That seems to be the universal size?

I appreciate the tips. I've been chasing this starting issue for years. These jet drive inboards are not common engines and not a lot of people are familiar with them. Many people are not familiar with the auto enricher either. I just want to be able to start the boat reliably w/o using starting fluid.

Any other maintenance tips for this engine?

 

[ondarvr]

Not that you should be using starting fluid, but you can buy 2 stroke starting fluid with oil already in it.

​The bad part of using it in a 2 stroke isn't the first little squirt to get it started, it's continuing to use it either to keep it running, or repeated tries when it won't start. This uses up all the oil left in the crankcase after a very short period of time.

 

[roscoe]

primer bulbs come in different sizes, 1/4" 5/16" 3/8"

You need to get the size that matches your fuel line inside diameter.

 

[racerone]

The units are the FORCE engines marketed as a MERCURY.---Not that strange at all.-------Now i believe that the enricher when opened electrically simply draws fuel from the carbureter bowl and it is NOT fuel under pressure.------Test this enricher valve and hoses to make sure it is open.-Make sure during starting that throttle plates open slightly as well !------If this does not help you then consider installing the BRASS primer unit from an OMC turbo jet machine.--------That unit uses fuel under pressure.-------Remember that this is an OUTBOARD powerhead installed as an INBOARD.--------Different Coast Guard rules apply to the fuel system.-----Make sure you know the rules.

 

[KellyI]

I wanted to follow up on my post from last March. I finally got some time to work on my boat engine. I ended up buying a fuel pump rebuild kit for under $20. I checked the fuel enrichener again and all seemed fine. After the fuel pump rebuild kit was installed, the engine started instantly! I chased this fueling issue for a long time and it seemed that the problem was a lack of fuel pressure. The enrichener now has fuel flowing to it and the engine starts like the day it was new. I did not need to install a primer bulb. Thanks to all that helped with advice.